Hong Kong Customs detects three passenger drug trafficking cases at airport (with photos)
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The first case involved a 33-year-old male passenger and a 45-year-old female passenger who arrived in Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Bangkok, Thailand, on November 22. During customs clearance, Customs officers suspected that the passengers had dangerous drugs concealed inside their body cavities. They were then escorted to the hospital for examination. Upon examination, the duo were confirmed by doctors to have foreign objects concealed inside their body cavities. They were arrested immediately. As at 3pm today (November 24), the arrested persons have discharged 282 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 1.7kg in total.
In the second case, a 45-year-old female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday. She was suspected to have dangerous drugs concealed inside her body cavity during customs clearance and was arranged to be brought to the hospital for examination. Later, she discharged a small amount of suspected cocaine and was thus arrested. A doctor also confirmed that foreign objects were concealed inside her body cavity. As at 3pm today, the arrested person has excreted 41 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 1kg in total.
The third case involved a male passenger, aged 31 and arriving in Hong Kong from Penang, Malaysia, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found six pieces of suspected heroin with a total weight of 2.1kg were strapped around his waist. He was subsequently arrested.
The two arrested persons of the first case will each be charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, whereas the arrested man involved in the third case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The two cases will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (November 25).
The investigation of the second case is ongoing.
Following the resumption of normal travel and exchanges with the Mainland and other parts of the world, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has also been increasing steadily. Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).
Ends/Friday, November 24, 2023
Issued at HKT 18:55
Issued at HKT 18:55
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